iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

New Stihl MS241 C-M first impressions

Started by upnut, May 23, 2017, 08:06:42 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

upnut

With a dozen tops to work up after logging(walnut,oak,hackberry) and a half acre to clear-cut(mostly hard maple 10" to 14" on the stump) I decided it was time to upgrade saws. Went with the Stihl MS241 C-M I have been researching for some time, much of it on this forum. I really like the weight and balance of this saw, along with the anti-vibration system and controls. This is my fifth Stihl(028,025,MS250,011) the first pro saw of the bunch, looking forward to breaking it in!



Scott B.
I did not fall, there was a GRAVITY SURGE!

yamaracer


Duane(Pa)

Quote from: upnut on May 23, 2017, 08:06:42 PM
With a dozen tops to work up after logging(walnut,oak,hackberry) and a half acre to clear-cut(mostly hard maple 10" to 14" on the stump) I decided it was time to upgrade saws. Went with the Stihl MS241 C-M I have been researching for some time, much of it on this forum. I really like the weight and balance of this saw, along with the anti-vibration system and controls. This is my fifth Stihl(028,025,MS250,011) the first pro saw of the bunch, looking forward to breaking it in!



Scott B.
Which Bar & Chain did you go with? Nice looking rig for sure!

upnut

Duane- I stayed with the 16" bar and 63 PS3 55 chain that Stihl recommends for this saw. I believe they call it the low-pro chain, and so far it suits me. I run the yellow tag chains on my other saws, time will tell. Thanks!

Scott B.
I did not fall, there was a GRAVITY SURGE!

JJinAK

Scott:

Congrats on the newest member of the family.  I just added a new MS461 last week, and so far I've been really pleased with it.  Funny thing is I had planned on selling off my oldest one (034), but I just couldn't do it.  I have no need for 3 saws, but having 3 Stihl's is totally different..... right?

J
MS461
MS362

khntr85

Quote from: upnut on May 23, 2017, 08:06:42 PM
With a dozen tops to work up after logging(walnut,oak,hackberry) and a half acre to clear-cut(mostly hard maple 10" to 14" on the stump) I decided it was time to upgrade saws. Went with the Stihl MS241 C-M I have been researching for some time, much of it on this forum. I really like the weight and balance of this saw, along with the anti-vibration system and controls. This is my fifth Stihl(028,025,MS250,011) the first pro saw of the bunch, looking forward to breaking it in!



Scott B.

Awesome man....please keep us updated....I have heard they are great saws...I have a 024 and it has a 16" .325 B&C...it runs it great....I bet you saw is really fast with the lo-pro....

That saw will run a lot better after 20 tanks of fuel!!!

upnut

Quick update: I am really liking this saw! Very easy and reliable to start, perfect weight and balance for me, really like the air filter and ease of maintenance on it, still don't like the tool-less caps but at least now there are marks to line up for ease of installation. Very handy working the landing, brushing out tree tops, bucking up the pile of poles will be the next test:



Stihl Roundup! Left to right: MS250, MS241 C-M, my brother's MS260 Pro and MS441C Magnum



The 241 got the call 99.9% of the time....so far!

Scott B.
I did not fall, there was a GRAVITY SURGE!

aSmith

upnut, have you gotten to cut with this any more? Any updates? There's a lot of debate on here about the power difference between 241 & 261, have you sunk it into anything challenging yet?

upnut

Quote from: aSmith on June 16, 2017, 07:44:27 PM
upnut, have you gotten to cut with this any more? Any updates? There's a lot of debate on here about the power difference between 241 & 261, have you sunk it into anything challenging yet?
Yes, we cut firewood every morning this week while it was cooler. We cut down a couple bone dry knotty red elm, the bigger one I bore cut just to see how the 241 would handle it....no problem. Still running the original low pro chain and have not touched it, buried the saw into the cut both sides of the trunk, smooth as butter and not lacking for power. The last tree we worked up, after delimbing with the 241(what a joy to do with this saw) was a knotty hard maple. We "raced" side by side, 241 vs 441 on the log, pretty much a dead heat, with my brother mumbling something about needing to sharpen his chains for those knots. Sharp, the 441 should smoke the 241, but that gives you an idea how the 241 cuts. The big gnarly oak crotches i set into did bog it down, just had to back off a little and let it chew its way thru, but I rarely tackle chunks wider than my 16" bar anyway, that's 441 and John Deere territory! My brother declared the 241 quite a saw and is considering selling his ms260(dog) for one "light as a feather" in the near future. Perfect saw for a pile of poles and a cross-buck too...


Scott B.

p.s. Thanks for asking and "Welcome to the forum"!!!
I did not fall, there was a GRAVITY SURGE!

aSmith

Thanks for the update and I'm glad to hear the saw is treating you so well. Its feeling like quite the sales pitch to me, think I might be spending some money soon. Thanks for the warm welcome as well,
Adam

upnut

The 241 is getting quite a bit of use, took a few mornings and cut firewood with my brother, probably six full pickup loads. Had a couple warm start issues which I attribute to operator error(me) nothing major. We are getting into the hard maple which cuts a little harder than walnut tops, still happy with the low pro chain. We are clearing the old school-lot where the one room school was built in 1885, named after my family, where my 93 year dad attended school as a child. The big stone by the trailer tire was part of the foundation, by this time next year it will be corn field. Progress....I guess.



Scott B.
I did not fall, there was a GRAVITY SURGE!

trapper

Have you figured out the reason for the warm start issue?
stihl ms241cm ms261cm  echo 310 400 suzuki  log arch made by stepson several logrite tools woodmizer LT30

upnut

Quote from: trapper on June 29, 2017, 09:27:18 PM
Have you figured out the reason for the warm start issue?
Not really, it was flooded so I cleaned the spark plug the first time and held the throttle wide open til it fired the second time. I like the momentary off position on the master control lever, and have been starting the saw in the "run" position when it is warm now. I may have been lazy on pulling the rope as well, it starts so easy just didn't pull with enough enthusiasm. I know the m-tronics is working, just have to adjust my habits to work with it....Scott B.
I did not fall, there was a GRAVITY SURGE!

trapper

6 tanks of fuel so far am liking the saw so far.  some hot start issues but it was 87 today.  need to let it idle a few seconds before advancing throttle when starting.  Wish stihl would cure the problem of sawdust collecting around the oil fill cap. I find this on all my stihl saws.  My little echo 310 is much better in this ares.
stihl ms241cm ms261cm  echo 310 400 suzuki  log arch made by stepson several logrite tools woodmizer LT30

mccgsm

I agree on the new caps--I've got 42 years on my 041 and was utterly puzzled when I picked up a Stihl pole saw to find complex, moving-part, impossible-to-manipulate-with-gloves-on caps on it. And they trap sawdust like crazy, making it virtually impossible to refill the oil without contaminating the reservoir. 

What was Stihl thinking? Is there a Husky mole in their marketing department?? With my 041 I lost exactly one oil cap in 42 years and my solution was to buy two replacements, one of which is still in my tool box. 

I'm reminded of my old Volvo 240 that I ran well over 300K--superb machine that performed like this 041 (well, it didn't cut trees down--but it ran like a Stihl!). But it had a couple stupid things on it, and when Volvo did stupid, it was really stupid. Sigh. I guess Stihl isn't quite perfect either.

Thank You Sponsors!